This blanket C13 was my bus knitting over a year ago. I have now managed to finish it. I knitted it as diagonal blocks as many times before. Some call them bias blocks, so perhaps I will too.
It started with the Jaeger yarn from charity shops. First I found the bright blue merino wool. It was so nice and soft that I could not resist it, despite the awkward colour. Next came the white, just as nice and just as difficult.
I thought I would knit a sweater from the red white self striping Schoeller and Stahl sock wool Mexico Limbo Color, but, really, I could never wear anything bright red and white. So I thought it a good idea to put the three together for one blanket. All very nice quality wool, all machine washable, and there was enough for one blanket.
The knitting was lovely. Two rows per colour made it easy to count the rows before I needed to switch from increasing to decreasing. The sock wool patterning added interest. And then I found two more balls in the same Mexico Limbo patterning in black blue white.
The knitting occupied me very happily for eight months. Then I put the blocks aside waiting for their turn to be finished. I thought I should join them using three needle bind off. I had some blue wool left, but I didn't know how much it would take so I went out and bought five balls of Wendy Merino double knitting in a more subdued blue. It took just over four balls. I was pleased to see that the bright blue is apparently no longer in fashion because I couldn't find it in any brand.
So I picked up stitches alongside one block, turned it round and did the same in the adjacent one and bound off the stitches. It took time. Picking up the stitches from garter stitch rows was easy, one stitch per row, and the join looks nice and stretches along with the blocks. The colour of the Wendy fits in really well; it picks up one of the shades in the blue sock wool.
I thought about doing an I cord edging, but mine turned out very rigid, and it didn't suit the stretchy blocks. Perhaps I should have used a larger needle, or picked up stitches more frequently. In the end I picked up stitches as the first row, turned round and knitted the next row, turned round again and did crochet bind off. I think it looks fine, so I am happy with it.
Now it is ready. The brightness of the contrast between the white and blue really hit me when I first laid the blocks out. Then I got used to it, but it is really a bit too much. I like how the sock yarn makes for irregularly coloured blocks. Otherwise it is a nice serviceable blanket. The size was determined by the amount of wool available. Ideally it should have been slightly larger.
It is interesting to note that, although it is smaller than my standard blankets, it weighs more. This is presumably due to the garter stitch.
Yarn: Jaeger Baby Merino blue, Matchmaker white, Schoeller and Stahl Limbo Mexico Color, all 100% machine washable wool
Needles: 3.5 mm
Weight: 1 610 gr
Size: 1.75 * 1.25 m
Knitted: 27 July 2012 to 9 April 2013
Finished: 8 December 2013 to 1 February 2014
